Roy Miller's Blog, page 99

Creating villain motivations: Writing real adversaries

by Jordan Source link In fiction, villains come in all guises and disguises, from scheming rulers to domineering family members or peers. Learn how to write villain motivations that make sense: 1. Explain villain motivations via backstory 2. Show the power your villain has over others 3. Explain how they get away with villainy 4.s

Flogometer 1035 for L Rita—are you compelled to turn the page?

by Ray Rhamey Source link Sorry I’m a little late on this, a doc appointment this morning. Submissions sought. Get fresh eyes on your opening page. Submission directions below. The Flogometer challenge: can you craft a first page that compels me to turn to the next page? Caveat: Please keep in mind that this iss

How to Craft the Perfect Cold Pitch (Lessons from My $10,400 Cold Email)

by Nick Darlington Source link Are you sending cold pitch after cold pitch with very few responses and no clients to show for your efforts? There may be several reasons why you’re not getting results. It may be that: You’re targeting people who aren’t currently in the market for freelance writers. And that’s okay; you’lls

The Dating World Is Complicated, Part One

by terribleminds Source link Sometimes, there comes a time when authors tweet. Sometimes, those authors are Sam Sykes and Chuck Wendig. Sometimes, someone collects those tweets into a big pile of tweets — or whatever the collective noun is for tweets, a tortle of tweets or a twibble or a twain maybe — and thens

Three-lobed Burning Eye magazine Calls for Speculative Fiction – Pays $100/story

by Brian Scott Source link Three-lobed Burning Eye (3LBE), an online speculative fiction magazine launched in 1999, is searching for stories of horror, fantastical wonder, and the weird. This includes magical realism,… ***

Endurability Is the Decisive Factor

by JW Source link As far as I can tell, the decisive factor is what I call endurability: that is, the ability to deal effectively with uncertainty, rejection, and disappointment, from within as well as from without. TED SOLOTAROFF

How to Use Allusion Like a Master Storyteller

by Pamela Hodges Source link Don’t write “on the nose.” Writing doesn’t have to be direct. You don’t have to make it easy for your reader to understand what is happening. Instead, use allusion: make a suggestion or a hint of your meaning. Let your reader think. The only thing you need to do with yours

How to Find a Juicy Writing Idea When Your Creative Well Has Run Dry

by Sonia Simone Source link It’s the hard part. The thing about being a writer that isn’t necessarily all that awesome. Sometimes it’s the part that makes you doubt yourself, doubt your creativity and abilities, maybe even doubt whether this whole professional writing thing really makes sense for you. “What the &$%# am I goings

Project Management on the Fly for Freelance Writers

by Anne Wayman Source link Project management tools are readily available. There are even free ones that have good reputations. All, however, require some sort of learning curve. Since I don’t think about project management until I’m in the middle of something that would benefit from some clarity about everything,, I’ve not been willing tos

7 Awesome TED Talks to Spark Your Creativity

by Joyful Jerboa Source link When thinking about being a good writer, you should strive to be a creative one. The story isn’t interesting if it is similar to the thousands of other previously written. Watch this selection of TED talks and find your own way to creativity. 4 Lessons in Creativity Radio host Julies